Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, originally published as in Japan, is the third installment of the [[Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (series)|''Budokai Tenkaichi series]]. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 and Wii on October 4, 2007 in Japan, although in other regions the game was released, its Wii port saw a delay. The PlayStation 2 version was released on November 13, 2007 in North America and on November 9, 2007 in Europe. The Wii version was later released on December 3, 2007 in North America and on February 15, 2008 in Europe.IGN: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Like its predecessor, despite being released under the Dragon Ball Z label, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 essentially touches upon all series installments of the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise, featuring numerous characters and stages set in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and numerous film adaptations of Z''. The game also features one of Akira Toriyama's original characters only related to ''Dragon Ball through crossovers, Dr. Slump's Arale Norimaki. Gameplay Budokai Tenkaichi 3 features over 162 characters, the largest character roster in any ''Dragon Ball Z'' game, as well as one of the largest in any fighting game. Ryo Mito once stated that the game would feature never-before-seen characters made exclusively for the game, although the only exclusive characters were the Saiyans' alternate Great Ape forms. Gamestop offered an exclusive version with a bonus DVD containing the top 10 television series battles as voted by fans on the release date. Several new notable features include: Battle Replay, night and day stages, the Wii's online capability, and Disc Fusion. Battle Replay allows players to capture their favorite fights and save them to an SD card to view later on. Night and day stages allow for more accurate battles in Dragon History, as well as the ability to transform into a Great Ape by using the moon. There are also several other time differences, such as dawn and afternoon. Not all stages provide different times. You can also change the aura of your character. The Wii version features online multiplayer capability, the first game in the series to have such a feature. Players can fight against anyone from around the globe with a ranking system showing the player's current standing compared to anyone else who has played online. As compensation for the lack of online, Spike has added a new "Disc Fusion" system to the PlayStation 2 version. Inserting a Budokai Tenkaichi 1 or 2 disc during play unlocks Ultimate Battle or Ultimate Battle Z, modes featured in the respective games needed to unlock them. The game also supports 480p for both the Wii and the PlayStation 2 versions. Other features in the game includes more combo attacks or character specific combos, the Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks will be able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combos are normal combos used in the game, however by inputting the another button into the attack will allow you to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character you might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Hercule. The Z Burst Dash is much faster and more evasive version of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain you of energy. Game modes * Dragon History ** Saiyan Saga ** Frieza Saga ** Android Saga ** Majin Buu Saga ** Special Saga ** Dragon Ball GT Saga ** Dragon Ball Saga ** What If Saga * Ultimate Battle ** Sim Dragon ** Mission 100 ** Survival ** Disc Fusion (PS2 Only) * Dragon World Tour ** World Tournament ** World Martial Arts Big Tournament ** Cell Games ** Otherworld Tournament ** Yamcha Game * Duel ** Single Battle ** Team Battle ** DP Battle * Dragon Net Battle(Wii Only) ** Custom Battle ** Normal Battle ** Friend Battle ** Ranking Battle ** View Ranking ** Battle Record * Evolution Z ** Character Customize ** Item Shop *** Item Exchange *** Item List ** Evolution Z Explanation * Ultimate Training ** Training ** Battle Training * Data Center ** Password Input Screen ** Fighter Catalog ** Replay * Character Reference * Options * Shenron New gameplay elements Several new features have been added to Budokai Tenkaichi 3. These include: * Blast Combo - Players can now kick their opponent into the air and attack them again by quickly teleporting or flying behind them. * Sonic Sway - This technique simply allows the player to evade the opponents attacks. Since it takes longer for the attacker to get back into their fighting stance than it does the player dodging the attacks, the attacker is left with an open defense. The one evading can then quickly counter-attack their opponent. However, this feature only applies to physical attacks aimed for the upper part of the body; if the opponent aims for the player's legs, for example, they cannot evade the attacks. * Z-Counter - The ability to counter attacks by teleporting behind the enemy. This is a technique seen in the series many times. * Z-Burst Dash - An enhanced version of the dash attack from the previous games, this technique allows players to zig and zag as they move at high speed. * The addition of a new day and night system allows certain characters to harness the power of the moon to transform into a Great Ape. * With the addition of the Battle Replay mode, players can now capture all of their favorite fights and watch them again later on. There are also several camera angles you can use to swap views of the battle. * The Wii version does not make use of the Wii's sensor bar. The game instead uses the Wii Remotes accelerometer provides animations demonstrating how to perform techniques (much like previous games provide the button combinations that are required to execute a technique). * The game's story mode, called Dragon History, has been completely changed from the previous installments. Some cutscenes take place during the middle of a battle, interrupting the fight for a short time while the two characters talk, while others take place during the battle themselves. During in-game cutscenes, dialogue appears at the bottom of the screen as the player fights, and what each character says depends on how the match is going. Who wins and loses causes a change in the story line, essentially making the game a what-if scenario all the way through. The player can also issue one-hit KOs in story mode by dealing the blow used to kill their opponent in the source material. The story mode is also significantly shorter than previous installments. * A new Z-Point system replaces the leveling system from Budokai Tenkaichi 2. The more Z-Points a character has, the more Z-Items can be equipped. * The Wii port of Budokai Tenkaichi 3 can be played using several different control setups, and is not restricted to the console's Wii Remote and Nunchuk alone. Instead, the player can choose to use the the Classic Controller or the GameCube controller, as well. The Classic Controller set up has been best received by critics, whom cite the Wii Remote as a fun method of play for casual gamers, but one that does not always maintain the responsiveness for hardcore gameplay. Playable characters Each character in the game is based off of their anime counterparts, their seiyū and voice actors also partaking in the development of the game whenever possible. Each character has attacks and fighting styles more-or-less derived from the source material, for example Goku's Kamehameha and Vegeta's Galick Gun. Certain fighters also have abilities, or the lack thereof, exclusive only to a small group of characters. Also, Dragon Ball characters cannot fly in the series, and thus slowly descend back to the ground after taking flight in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (however a Flight Z-Item is available for use by these characters, removing this restriction). The following represents the characters as they are ordered in the Character Select menu. Additional transformations appear in small text directly below the character to which they belong. Some characters are only playable in unabridged transformations, meaning they cannot revert to any preceding forms and are only able to progress in the transformation cycle. For example, Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta, is a character separate from all other incarnations of Vegeta in the game, thus none of these other Vegeta characters can assume the transformation, nor can Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta return to his base form. The character's only transformation option is to progress to Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. Characters who are only playable in unabridged forms have the title of their transformation listed in parenthesized small text beside their name. Reception The PlayStation port of the game received a 32 out of 40 from the game magazine Famitsu, while The Magic Box ranked the Wii version 33 out of 40.http://www.the-magicbox.com/game20070927.shtml IGN awarded both versions of the game an 8 out of 10, their only complaints being the the comparatively underwhelming story mode (in comparison to Budokai Tenkaichi 2), gimmicky Disc Fusion function and the lag experienced while playing online through the Wii's W-Fi connection. Voice actors English version * Andy Chandler – Cooler, Spopovich * Bill Townsley – Guldo, Cui, Babidi * Bob Carter – Bojack * Brad Jackson – King Cold * Brandon Potter – Appule, Alien Announcer, Earthling 2 * Brice Armstrong – Captain Ginyu, Lord Slug, Senbi Norimaki * Brina Palencia – Bulla, Chaotzu, Puar, Arale Norimaki * Chris Cason – Shu * Chris Patton – Turles, Earthling 4 * Chris Rager – Hercule, Frieza Soldier 2 * Christopher Sabat – Burter, Gogeta, Grandpa Gohan, Jeice, Korin, Majin Vegeta, Piccolo, Recoome, Salza, Omega Shenron, Vegito, Vegita, Yamcha, Zarbon, Porunga, Shenron, Mr. Popo * Chuck Huber – Android 13, Android 17, Garlic Jr., Super 17, Pilaf * Colleen Clinkenbeard – Zangya, Mai * Cynthia Cranz – Chi-Chi * Dameon Clarke – Cell * Elise Baughman – Pan * Eric Vale – Trunks, World Tournament Announcer * James T. Field – Play by Play Announcer * Jason Liebrecht – Tapion * Jeremy Inman – Android 16 * Jerry Jewel – Nam * John Burgmeier – Tien, Saibamen, Frieza Soldier, Nuova Shenron * Josh Martin – Majin Buu, Earthling 1 * Justin Cook – Devilman, Majin Buu (Gotenks Absorbed), Majin Buu (Ultimate Gohan Absorbed), Raditz, Super Buu * Kara Edwards – Goten, Gotenks, Videl, Great Saiyaman 2, Upa * Kent Williams – Dr. Gero, Kibitio Kai, Supreme Kai, Tao, Janemba, Elder Kai * Kyle Hebert – Great Saiyaman, Pikkon, Gohan, Narrator * Laura Bailey – Dende, Kid Trunks, Gotenks, Kid Chi-Chi * Linda Young – Baba, Frieza, Fasha * Meredith McCoy – Android 18, Launch * Mike McFarland – Baby, Master Roshi, Yajirobe, Android 8, Pui Pui * Phil Parsons – Nappa * Phillip Wilburn – Android 19 * R. Bruce Elliot – Dr. Wheelo, Earthling 3 * Rick Robertson – Dabura * Robert McCollum – Hildegarn * Sean Schemmel – Goku, Nail, Gogeta, King Kai, Vegito * Sean Michael Teague – Uub, Majuub * Sonny Strait – Bardock, Krillin, Giru, General Blue * Stephanie Nadolny – Kid Gohan, Kid Goku * Tiffany Vollmer – Bulma * Vic Mignogna – Broly Further reading * List of items in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 * List of playable characters in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 * List of stages in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 References External links * Official Japanese website * [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6171184.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;2 Budokai Tenkaichi 3 at GameSpot] * [http://search.gamespy.com/products?query=Dragon+Ball+Z%3A+Budokai+Tenkaichi+3 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 at GameSpy] * [http://www.gamershell.com/search/?q=Budokai+Tenkaichi+3 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 at GamersHell] Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Category:Fighting games Category:Video games where Android 13 is playable Category:Video games where Android 16 is playable Category:Video games where Android 17 is playable Category:Video games where Android 18 is playable Category:Video games where Android 19 is playable Category:Video games where Appule is playable Category:Video games where Baby is playable Category:Video games where Bardock is playable‎ Category:Video games where Bojack is playable Category:Video games where Broly is playable‎ Category:Video games where Burter is playable Category:Video games where Captain Ginyu is playable Category:Video games where Cell is playable Category:Video games where Cell Juniors are playable Category:Video games where Chi-Chi is playable Category:Video games where Chiaotzu is playable Category:Video games where Cooler is playable Category:Video games where Cui is playable Category:Video games where Dabura is playable Category:Video games where Devilman is playable Category:Video games where Dodoria is playable Category:Video games where Dr. Gero is playable Category:Video games where Emperor Pilaf is playable Category:Video games where Frieza is playable Category:Video games where Future Gohan is playable‎ Category:Video games where Future Trunks is playable‎ Category:Video games where Garlic Jr. is playable Category:Video games where General Blue is playable Category:Video games where General Tao is playable Category:Video games where Gogeta is playable‎ Category:Video games where Gohan is playable‎ Category:Video games where Goku is playable‎ Category:Video games where Goten is playable‎ Category:Video games where Gotenks is playable‎ Category:Video games where Grandpa Gohan is playable Category:Video games where Great Apes are playable Category:Video games where Guldo is playable Category:Video games where Hirudegarn is playable Category:Video games where Janemba is playable Category:Video games where Jeice is playable Category:Video games where Kid Buu is playable Category:Video games where King Piccolo is playable Category:Video games where Krillin is playable Category:Video games where Lord Slug is playable Category:Video games where Majin Buu is playable Category:Video games where Master Roshi is playable Category:Video games where Mr. Satan is playable‎ Category:Video games where Nam is playable Category:Video games where Nappa is playable Category:Video games where Pan is playable Category:Video games where Piccolo is playable‎ Category:Video games where Pikkon is playable Category:Video games where Raditz is playable Category:Video games where Recoome is playable Category:Video games where Saibamen are playable Category:Video games where Salza is playable Category:Video games where Super 17 is playable Category:Video games where Super Buu is playable Category:Video games where Supreme Kai is playable Category:Video games where Syn Shenron is playable Category:Video games where Tambourine is playable Category:Video games where Tapion is playable Category:Video games where Tien Shinhan is playable Category:Video games where Trunks is playable‎ Category:Video games where Turles is playable Category:Video games where Uub is playable Category:Video games where Vegeta is playable‎ Category:Video games where Vegito is playable‎ Category:Video games where Videl is playable Category:Video games where Yajirobe is playable Category:Video games where Yamcha is playable Category:Video games where Zangya is playable Category:Video games where Zarbon is playable Category:Video games where Zeso is playable